Various types of exercise equipment have been developed throughout history. This equipment is often directed to the exercising and strengthening of particular muscle groups, such as the commonly known handheld squeezing devices for exercising muscles of the hands and lower arm. However, more complex devices have been designed for use in strengthening and exercising other selected muscle groups. Historically, many of these devices used weights, springs or other preset resistances to movement. Such devices required the user to use only that amount of strength necessary to move the device through a weakest part of any movement.
Recently, other devices have been developed which offer resistance at a level adapting automatically to the user's abilities and providing resistance at a level the same or nearly the same as the force applied throughout the entire range of an exercise stroke. Such equipment is typically referred to as "isokinetic" exercising equipment. Many isokinetic exercise devices are relatively complex, expensive and require frequent maintenance. In addition, many of these devices are relatively large and typically require positioning at a stationary fixed location.
Example of iscokinetic exercising equipment are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,725 to Mattox, issued Feb. 10, 1981, and 4,385,760 issued May 31, 1983. More recently, a new isokinetic exercise device has the form of a cane which is relatively portable and capable of movement from location to location. This device is particularly advantageous for handicapped individuals.
Although the cane provides substantial advantages over other known exercising equipment, it is not particularly suited to exercises associated with muscles in the hip, knee and lower leg regions. For example, exercises available for muscle/skeletal groups in the hip regions are limited when the exercising apparatus does not provide any arrangement for supporting or securing different parts of the legs during exercise.
One type of known exercise apparatus specifically directed to exercises for the muscle/skeletal groups in the hip regions and incorporating a leg supporting device includes a base support and an exercise bar pivotably coupled to the base support. A slide is friction-mounted to the bar, and includes a saddle assembly for securing the patient's leg during exercise. Another type of known exercise apparatus directed to exercises for the muscle/skeletal groups in the knee joint regions include a base support and an exercise bar pivotably coupled to a pair of tubular bars extending downwardly from the base support.
It is also advantageous to provide devices to measure the relative amount of force exerted by the user during exercise. One type of exercise device employing a mechanism for measuring forces exerted by a user is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,255 to Varney, et al. issued July 27, 1976. Varney discloses an exercise bar having a sleeve mounted to an elongated tube and slideable with respect to the tube. Bushings within the tube provide a friction slide between the sleeve and tube, and handles are provided on the sleeve and at one end of the tube. Resistance of the sleeve on the tube is provided through a flat-headed pin and adjustably tensioned spring which exerts forces on the pin. A force measuring device is provided by a coil spring which is positioned between the outer end of the sleeve and an internal bushing. A gauge is mounted on a sleeve and indicates the amount of force applied by the user.